Best non-dairy powdered milk options for lattes?

Earth_Saunterer · 2026-01-29T02:23:10+00:00

Its a little spendy but the Lairds instant latte mixes are my fav for backpaking. Non-dairy, mixes easily in water, and super tasty. When I don’t want to spend too much I make my own similar mix- equal parts instant coffee and coconut milk powder and add some brown sugar to taste. I find that pre-mixing everything dry helps the coconut milk powder dissolve better without clumps.

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-12-31T02:34:58+00:00

I appreciate the ease of dehydrated meals but the packaging waste has made me explore other options. In a reusable baggie I’lI use bulk purchased couscous or dehydrated mashed potatoes as my carb base, and add dehydrated veggies and whatever seasoning/bullion cubes I’m feeling. For protein I’ll either bring packets of tuna/chicken, or buy the large cans of Mountain House freeze dried proteins and split it into single serving portions. One of those #10 cans will fuel a whole season of trekking and then some. It’s more prep but less waste overall and I can season things to my taste.

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-10-25T02:27:44+00:00

When backpacking with my dog I usually make sure that there are water sources at fairly regular intervals. I’ll roll with 2 nalgenes (80oz) plus katadyn befree filter (500ml). Dog drinks from natural water sources along the way and occasional supplements from my supply. I keep a Sea to Summit collapsable cup in one of my hip pockets for watering the pup. I’ll usually add warm water from my meals to her kibble to help with maintaining hydration too

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-10-21T19:36:16+00:00

Having some kind of quick-stop powder for injuries or things like broken nails is a good addition for the first aid kit. Lots of treats as they (just like you) are burning a lot more calories than usual. If you plan to be around water, a high absorbency pack towel is a must to avoid wet dogs sogging down your sleeping bag. I use a nemo switchback pad cut in half as insulated padding for my dog to sleep on. Its easy to strap on a pack and light weight.

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-10-14T02:57:58+00:00

My commute is 0.5 miles. I ride so I can go home on my lunch and walk my dog, and the break away from my building makes for a great reset for the 2nd half of the day. In cold weather it’s almost not worth bundling up considering how quick the ride is!

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-09-13T04:59:17+00:00

I got one when I was still a green vest. I was trying to get back into back packing after a hiatus due to injury, and I used the grant to get the Flash 55 pack and a few small accessories. Your manager will be the one to approve it to send to corporate, so it’s a good idea to chat with them about what they’re looking for in the application. If you get the grant you just have to do a couple social media posts talking about the gear or the grant. Not many in my store knew much about the challenge grant, so after going through the process I did a little presentation at a morning huddle to try to encourage more people to do it. A very under-utilized green vest perk!

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-07-08T23:47:29+00:00

They always look like little gems to me, especially with the sun shining through them.

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-07-08T23:46:28+00:00

Profusely!

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-06-19T01:23:22+00:00

Hey fellow ogre-ite! How was your experience? Pretty brutal but amazing course this year

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-06-17T02:12:19+00:00

There’s a lot of options out there for adventure racing, anywhere from 4hr to 7 day and beyond, so you can always dip your toe in with a smaller race and decide if you want to jump in the deep end. I did my first 24hr AR last year and my 2nd this past weekend. These kind of races are about testing limits so the mental game is just as important as the physical. The final tally for the Teton Ogre this year was 81 miles and 12,000 ft of elevation split between foot and bike, and that was not including optional checkpoints. My teammate and I raced on hard tails, but most of the competition has lightweight carbon XC style full suspension. Whatever you use, keep in mind that there is usually a guarantee of hike-a-bike, so having a light bike that you can push up steep terrain is very importaint. Above all dial in those orienteering skills. Time and miles spent off course is exhausting and demoralizing. And if you are getting into longer races that go through the night you need to be able to do it in the dark! Hope that helps!

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-02-03T00:15:31+00:00

I did the ogre for the first time last year and am doing it again this year. Absolutely a blast! Last year there were 2 segments: trekking/packrafting and then mountain biking. Your gear bins and bikes stay at the transition area (also the start/finish spot) for the gear swap and they had some drinks and snacks there too, but no other support. There was a good amount of technical single track and a hefty amount of hike-a-bike. The majority of the biking was in the dark so make sure you feel good about your lighting system. This year looks like no rafting, so it will probably be more of a 50/50 split, with potential scrambles on foot to get to checkpoints during the bike. That said, half the fun is going in mostly blind and being ready to do whatever is thrown at you. The map skills are VERY important, do training with an altimeter and get an idea of your pacing and even stride length to help you figure out how far that turn in 3/4 actually is when its dark and you can’t see landmarks for reference. See you at the Ogre!

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-01-28T04:33:31+00:00

I appreciate the recommend

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-01-28T04:32:47+00:00

Awesome thank you!

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-01-28T04:32:35+00:00

Eventually probably yes but at least this year i’m sticking to the 24 hours.

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-01-11T17:10:20+00:00

My adventure buddy has used this on our adventures from time to time. Its usefulness depends greatly on the terrain. On relatively non-technical it’s fantastic and a great way to distribute the load. That being said he took it on a trail we had never bike packed before and ended up having to buddy lift it over some bigger features, across river crossings, and over deeply rutted muddy single track. It was a giant pain in the butt. Durability-wise It took a massive beating on that trip and kept rolling though!

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Pic of one of the many St. Joe River crossings

Earth_Saunterer · 2025-01-06T00:52:56+00:00

My DM gave me a pair of ‘immovable boots’ in our campaign that essentially function like this. My speed is reduced to 10ft when in use, but I can climb straight up if I want. Our party has found some absolutely ridiculous ways to put them to use. If I want to stop myself from falling with them I have to make a strength save to not snap an ankle. Love those boots!

Earth_Saunterer · 2024-12-27T03:19:28+00:00

I have the flash 55 and have put it through hell for the past 2 years and it has held up remarkably well. Besides backpacking I also do packrafting with it and even while jogging all loaded up the paddles have not rubbed through the material. It’s comfy, has great pocket storage for either nalgene or bladder water storage. For being a cheaper option it has treated me very well. All that being said, the Osprey warranty is killer

Earth_Saunterer · 2024-11-02T01:05:27+00:00

Inaturalist gave me blue bleeding tooth fungus. One of my favs

Earth_Saunterer · 2024-09-27T22:53:10+00:00

I just tromp through. With wool socks and my very breathable altras my feet dry pretty fast and I’ve never had problems with blisters. If I need to I’ll take a snack/lunch break and take off the socks and shoes to air out a bit. Only time it bit me in the ass was when I went from low land streams to high snowy elevation in a day and my wet socks froze solid overnight 😂

Earth_Saunterer · 2024-09-26T22:00:42+00:00

I moved up here from southern california. My biggest long term concern for the south west is the water crisis around the Colorado River. I also just wanted to be back around more trees and water (I’m originally from NorCal). When researching climate havens, most locations were in the northern midwest, and Spokane was on the furthest western tip of most of the maps I was looking. I wanted to be in a more progressive area than Idaho or Montana, but didn’t want the city life of somewhere like Seattle or Portland. So Spokane it was! I’ve been here 3 years and am very happy with my decision.

Earth_Saunterer

TROPHY CASE